DURHAM — Broken and frozen heating coils in the ceilings of Murkland and Gregg Halls were the cause of burst pipes this morning that closed the two buildings on the University of New Hampshire campus as maintenance crews worked to clean up what was described as a major mess by officials.

In Murkland Hall, crews worked to mitigate the damage caused by water on every floor including the basement. Some classrooms in the building had partial damage to ceiling tiles as well.

Power to all outlets was shut off and plumbers worked to drain the heating system in the building. According to officials, Servepro was en route to assist with the clean up.

A similar incident occurred in Gregg Hall, though sources said the damage there was less significant and on a smaller scale.

Murkland Hall remained closed to the public for the day with all classes held there canceled. It was unknown how long it would take to execute cleanup and reopen the hall.

Assistant Fire Chief Jason Cleary offered the following friendly reminder to students and visitors on campus.

“If the building is closed and it says the building is closed then people should stay out,” he said.